Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

Syria Tells Troops to Be Ready for Battle
(Full Story)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has placed his military on full alert, citing "regional challenges", and vowed to continue supporting the "Palestinian and Lebanese resistance more than ever".

In a speech to mark the Syrian Army national day, Mr Assad said the volatile situation across the Middle East required "vigilance, preparation and readiness" and ordered all units of the armed forces to be on alert.

The comments were interpreted by Israel as a morale booster to the Syrian armed forces and not a call to battle. Israeli intelligence chiefs have assessed that Syria is not in the mood for an open war and is instead content to resupply Hezbollah guerillas in Lebanon.

	Iranian Cleric Asks Muslims to Send Weapons to Hezbollah
	Blair Says Syria, Iran Risk Confrontation
	Iran and Syria Beat the Drums of War

Thread Thirty-Nine

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First wire reports of Hezbollah response to resolution (CNN):

"We will continue fighting as long as Israeli soldiers are in Lebanon."

261 posted on 08/05/2006 8:41:08 AM PDT by nwctwx (Everything I need to know, I learned on the Threat Matrix)

Israel:

"No cease-fire till threat of rockets is gone."

262 posted on 08/05/2006 8:46:20 AM PDT by nwctwx (Everything I need to know, I learned on the Threat Matrix)

263 posted on 08/05/2006 8:59:12 AM PDT by Donna Lee Nardo (+++ DEATH TO ISLAMIC TERRORISTS AND ANIMAL AND CHILD ABUSERS +++)

To: Godzilla; ExSoldier

I have been thinking that they might try to test a nuclear device on the 22nd, and that would be their response. This would probably be a strong sign to the Shiite community that Ahmadinejad is a very important person to Islam, in the grand-scheme of things.

264 posted on 08/05/2006 9:33:27 AM PDT by nwctwx (Everything I need to know, I learned on the Threat Matrix)

If they've only got one, they won't want to waste it on a "test" because that doesn't quite live up to the "ascent into heaven" theme for the day. Does that make sense?

265 posted on 08/05/2006 9:37:46 AM PDT by ExSoldier (Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on dinner. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.)

To: ExSoldier; nwctwx

If they've only got one, they won't want to waste it on a "test" because that doesn't quite live up to the "ascent into heaven" theme for the day. Does that make sense?

Mixed thoughts. Iran has made numerous threats suggesting an attack of some kind would be launched. Unless he has his hands on a real, functional warhead (something beyond their current technology IMHO), they've been all talk.

OTOH, a test would prove they have attained the level of technology to create a basic weapon and would have about the same effect as Pakistan obtained thru their tests a few years back. It takes time to create the warhead version of the system, but something that can be loaded into a bulk carrier (airplane, truck, container, etc) for terror purposes following the test has high potential IMHO.

IF Iran tests a weapon, then our intel has failed us miserably since it takes quite a bit of effort to refine uranium to the point necessary for weapons, and so far they've only attained minimal enrichment. Unless we've totally missed the centrifuge system necessary for the enrichment to occur, then Iran had to obtain the weapons grade uranium from somewhere else. Not a nice thought.

If they've processed it on their own, then the US must strike Iranian facilities NOW before they can attain a weaponized system as well as more enriched uranium. There is little other choice if we are to avoid a nuclear war in the middle east that could spread beyond that area, as well as nuclear blackmail and control of the oil producing countries of the Persian gulf region.

266 posted on 08/05/2006 9:49:45 AM PDT by Godzilla (OK, who stopped payment on my reality check?)

To: tmp02; Oorang; drymans wife; MamaDearest; nwctwx; Domestic Church; Rushmore Rocks; Labyrinthos; ...

Special Terrorism Summary 08/05/06
Israel At War

Overall Summary and Comments
Things have been “relatively” quiet, most likely due to the Sabboth. I don’t place much measure in the cease fire plan, Hezbollah unlikely as Israel to accept it. Olmert and the Israeli cabinet are still unable to back-up their words with a ground offensive. Their ineptness shows in the continued rocket attacks.

Ground Operations
No real significant changes to the penetration into Lebanon from yesterday (see picture below). Heavy fire was reported being exchanged between IDF forces and Hezbullah in the village of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is inflicting high casalities due to its use of guided anti-tank rockets.
Israeli commandos clash with Hezbollah fighters in the Lebanese city of Tyre. The reported target was the Hezbollah cell responsible for the rocket launchings from that city. Several commandos were reportedly wounded in the assault.

Air OperationsB The IDF on Saturday broadcast warnings to the residents of the Lebanese coastal city of Sidon, recommending they leave their homes and move northward, in order to evade an impending attack. In the past 36 hours, the IAF carried out some 160 air strikes against Lebanon, the army said on Saturday. The army spokesman's office said fighter pilots flew 88 missions on Friday, and more than 70 so far on Saturday.

Rocket Attacks
Hezbollah continues to use the barrage method of fire, resulting in higher casualites. Accordingly, the total number of rockets fired continues to be at a high rate. Three died when a rocket hit a house in the Israeli Arab village of Arab al-Aramshe. Earlier, 10 rockets smashed into the northern outskirts of Haifa, Israel's third largest city, wounding five people and damaging cars and buildings. Hizbollah fired dozens more rockets that struck northern Israeli villages including Kiryat Shmona and Maalot as well as the city of Nahariya.
There are reports that a rocket has hit 28 miles north of Tel Aviv not yet confirmed. If true, this is the most southern missile strike that has occurred.

Reference to yesterday’s deepest rocket strike, the figure below shows the ranges of the rocket assets Hezbollah has.

Central Israel on Heightened Alert
IDF says should the need arise residents of areas south of Haifa will be warned one minute prior to landing of rocket or rockets. Colonel Yechiel Kuperstein, head of the Home Front Command's defense department, said the new procedures issued for residents south of Haifa apply to all residents on Israel's coastline plane, including Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv is out of the range of the Fajr-5s that hit north of it yesterday. The concern continues to be the Zelzal-2 rocket, a variant of the older Soviet FROG missile. This is an inertial guidance missile that, at its maximum range, can hit within about 100 yards of its intended target. It can carry a 1000 lb warhead of high explosive, chemical, biological or even nuclear. It is vulnerable because it uses a large truck to carry the rocket and launcher, as such it is hard to hide. However it can be set up an launched from a pre-selected site within 15 minutes. The most likely launching sites are in the Bekaa Valley, far enough away from any likely IDF ground offensive to be relatively safe. However, the IAF has been seeking these rockets and launchers out and it is believed that they have hit a substantial number of them.

If Hezbollah carries out its threat to strike Tel Aviv, this will be the system used. Because of its range, it is nearly a stratigic weapon which may result in an Israeli strike at Syria and/or Iran, who has openly admitted that they have supplied Hezbollah with the system.

267 posted on 08/05/2006 9:51:56 AM PDT by Godzilla (OK, who stopped payment on my reality check?)

Have you ever read a book by Frederick Forsythe called The Fist of God? My buddy recommended it to me a long time ago. It is the story of how Saddam Hussein used WWII technology to get himself far along the road to a nuke. Everybody was looking at modern methods and completely overlooked the old standards. My buddy (SpecOps 05 type) said the book of "fiction" was about one sixteenth off the actual story of the huge "gun" Iraq wanted to use to hurl a nuke into Israel using a barrel that was laid up along the side of a hill. The so called supergun. What if Iran has done the same thing with heavy water?

268 posted on 08/05/2006 10:02:41 AM PDT by ExSoldier (Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on dinner. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.)

To: All; Godzilla; ExSoldier; Cindy; MamaDearest; Velveeta

Hezbollah equipped like the `Syrian or Iranian army'

Hezbollah's sophisticated anti-tank missiles are perhaps its deadliest weapon in the fighting in Lebanon, with their ability to pierce Israel's most advanced tanks.

Experts say this is further evidence that Israel is facing a well-equipped army in this war, not a ragtag militia.

Hezbollah has fired Russian-made Metis-M anti-tank missiles and owns European-made Milan missiles, the army confirmed yesterday.

In the last two days alone, these missiles have killed seven soldiers and damaged three Israeli-made Merkava tanks, vaunted as symbols of Israel's might, the army said. Israeli media say most of the 44 soldiers killed in four weeks of fighting were hit by anti-tank missiles.

"They (Hezbollah guerrillas) have some of the most advanced anti-tank missiles in the world," said Yossi Kuperwasser, a senior military intelligence officer who retired earlier this summer.

"This is not a militia, it's an infantry brigade with all the support units," Kuperwasser said.

Israel contends Hezbollah gets almost all of its weaponry from Syria and by extension Iran, including its anti-tank missiles.

That's why cutting off the supply chain is essential and why fighting Hezbollah after it has spent six years building up its arsenal is proving so painful to Israel, officials say.

"To the best of my understanding, they (Hezbollah) are as well-equipped as any standing unit in the Syrian or Iranian armies," said Eran Lerman, a retired army colonel and now director of the Israel/Middle East office of the American Jewish Committee. "This is not a rat-pack guerrilla, this is an organized militia."

Besides the anti-tank missiles, Hezbollah is also known to have a powerful rocket-propelled grenade known as the RPG29. These weapons are also smuggled through Syria, an Israeli security official said, and were used by Palestinian militants in Gaza to damage tanks.

Yesterday, Jane's Defence Weekly, a defence industry magazine, reported that Hezbollah asked Iran for "a constant supply of weapons" to support its operations against Israel.

It cited Western diplomats as saying Iranian officials promised Hezbollah a steady supply of weapons "for the next stage of the confrontation."

Top Israeli intelligence officials say they have seen Iranian Revolutionary Guard soldiers on the ground with Hezbollah troops. They say that permission to fire Hezbollah's longer-range missiles would likely require Iranian go-ahead.

269 posted on 08/05/2006 10:22:15 AM PDT by nwctwx (Everything I need to know, I learned on the Threat Matrix)

Israel: Hezbollah Rocket Tally at 3,000

More than 3,000 Hezbollah rockets have hit northern Israel in more than three weeks of fighting, the Israeli army said Saturday.

The guerrillas fired 170 rockets into Israel on Saturday, killing three civilians. In all, 33 Israeli civilians have been killed by rockets since fighting began July 12.

270 posted on 08/05/2006 12:53:06 PM PDT by nwctwx (Everything I need to know, I learned on the Threat Matrix)

To: All; Cindy; StillProud2BeFree; Godzilla; callmejoe; Velveeta; MamaDearest

Al-Qaida welcomes new Egyptian group

Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader has said in a new audiotape that a new Egyptian militant group has joined the terror network.

271 posted on 08/05/2006 1:28:21 PM PDT by nwctwx (Everything I need to know, I learned on the Threat Matrix)

To: nwctwx; Godzilla; All

Thank you nw and godzilla for the discussion, summary and articles.
I've been following along while surfing somewhere else.
You guys rock!
I appreciate the info.

272 posted on 08/05/2006 1:42:48 PM PDT by Cindy

To: Oorang; penguino; LayoutGuru2; JohnathanRGalt; backhoe; All

273 posted on 08/05/2006 1:45:54 PM PDT by Cindy

To: Oorang; penguino; LayoutGuru2; backhoe; JohnathanRGalt

274 posted on 08/05/2006 2:10:56 PM PDT by Cindy

To: penguino; Oorang; JohnathanRGalt; backhoe

275 posted on 08/05/2006 2:24:23 PM PDT by Cindy

To: penguino; Oorang; JohnathanRGalt; backhoe; All

276 posted on 08/05/2006 2:45:00 PM PDT by Cindy

To: JohnathanRGalt; backhoe; All

277 posted on 08/05/2006 3:02:24 PM PDT by Cindy

278 posted on 08/05/2006 3:03:21 PM PDT by Cindy

To: backhoe; piasa; Godzilla; nwctwx; JohnathanRGalt

This video clip was from August 3rd, but it's interesting.

Transcript available here, too.
http://www.memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=1219
8/3/2006 Clip No. 1219

"Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah Calls upon Arab Leaders to Promote Cease-Fire in Meetings with the Americans"

---

QUOTE:
http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1219

Clip #1219

#1219 - Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah Calls upon Arab Leaders to Promote Cease-Fire in Meetings with the Americans
Al-Manar TV (Lebanon) - 8/3/2006 - 00:05:40

279 posted on 08/05/2006 3:08:13 PM PDT by Cindy

To: Gucho; JohnathanRGalt; backhoe; piasa; Godzilla; nwctwx; All

280 posted on 08/05/2006 3:12:06 PM PDT by Cindy

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